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ABOUT TDKR:

The Dark Knight Rises is a mobile action-adventure game for iOS and Android, based on the movie of the same name. Players took on the role of Batman to fight criminals in an open-world Gotham City. The storyline followed the events of the movie, allowing players to control Batman and interact with key characters like Catwoman and Bane.

As a Game Designer, my role was to create the combat flow for Batman / Bruce Wayne along with two main story missions and a cinematic QTE event at the beginning of the game.

FEATURES:

  • Third-person Action Adventure
  • Single-player Campaign
  • Melee Combat
  • Open World Gotham version
  • Based on Christopher Nolan's cinematographic masterpiece

TRAILER

MY CONTRIBUTIONS

  • Defined the combat flow for Batman / Bruce Wayne: stacking hit tiers for combos and boosted damage.
  • Worked closely with Animation and Engineering teams to ensure realistic, heroic feel for hits, counterattacks, and visual feedback.
  • Added a layer of slow motion moments tied to combo milestones or “key moments” in combat for pacing and cinematic impact.
  • Created hit / damage references and constraints for different enemy types (crowbar, knife, melee), including special behaviors like blocking and dodging. 
  • Designed mission “Power Station”: stealth gameplay using lighting / shadows, multi-layered enemy placement (snipers, ground patrols, cameras), alarm-triggers that change mission difficulty.
  • Delivered “The Storm Part 4” mission featuring a major encounter with Bane (boss fight), implementing several QTEs tied to boss health thresholds.
  • Contributed to “The Pit” level: the climbing QTE sequence representing Batman’s fall and rise, with input timing mechanics and cinematic framing.

My work consisted of:

  • designed complete combat flow based on stacking hits from different Tiers to boost damage and score improved combos
  • planned with the Animations department the development and the animation needs
  • reviewed and shared feedback on animation dynamics in order to achieve realistic, but still heroic-like moves.
  • worked along with Engineering department for the optimal in-game integration as well as all the functionalities required to implement the desired Design outcome
  • worked on adding an additional layer of slow-motion moments, camera shakes and defined key moments for the animations to blend in an intense situation of combat, in order to achieve the intended and cinematic pacing.
  • designed the counterattacks along with defining the input timings for them and also the limitations for various enemies (i.e.: normal melee enemy, crowbar enemy – with special ability to randomly block Batman’s hits, knife enemy – with special ability to randomly dodge Batman’s hits, Bane as the final boss)


Samples:

The "Power Station" was the second mission from the second chapter in which Batman had to reactivate three power generators and then to save Catwoman.

The mission featured stealth gameplay based on light / shadows environment and three layers of encounters:

  • snipers on top of buildings,
  • enemies on ground level 
  • surveillance cameras or certain enemies able to raise the alarm if Batman gets spotted. The penalty for getting the alarm triggered would result in increased difficulty.

 

Samples:

"The Storm, Part 4" was the final mission of the game. 

This mission concludes the game's story, and features the climax of the conflict between Batman and the villain Bane.  

The boss fight was sprinkled with several quick time events at different percent of Bane’s HP (75-50-25).

 

Samples:

"The Pit" was mission from first chapter which marks the fall of Batman and the loss of most of his abilities.

The climbing sequence from the end of the mission follows the movie’s story and symbolizes the rise of Batman.

The QTE requires player input in various key moments of his cinematic ascend; the failure to press the button on time restarts the event.

 

Samples:

Project's completion

The project development started in 2011 and it was released as a premium mobile game on iOS in July 2012. During this time, the team collaborated closely with Christopher Nolan's team and Warner Bros. to align on various aspects concerning main story line, combat, art direction, etc.


Built on the studio’s proprietary engine, it brought console-like visuals and cinematic storytelling to smartphones at a time when large-scale 3D mobile games were still rare.


The game was well received by players and critics, praised for its ambitious scope, high production values, and fluid combat system that captured the spirit of the film. Reviews highlighted the detailed recreation of Gotham City, varied missions, and strong presentation, though some noted technical limitations and repetition common to early open-world mobile titles.


Over time, The Dark Knight Rises became one of Gameloft’s most recognized licensed projects of the era, demonstrating how strong IP integration and polished gameplay systems could elevate mobile action design. It served as a major milestone in advancing cinematic gameplay and real-time combat on mobile devices.


Unfortunately, the game is no longer supported on modern devices because it was not updated for 64-bit operating systems, which caused it to become incompatible with newer devices.